Superman Stunt Doubles
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- čas přidán 18. 12. 2022
- George Reeves did most of his own stunts in the "Adventures of Superman," but there are moments in some of the early episodes when even the Man of Steel needed a little help.
Saul M. "Sol" Gorss spent the better part of his career at Warner Bros. One of Saul Gorss' most notable credits of the 1950s was in "The Thing." In the summer of 1951, he doubled for George Reeves in "A Night of Terror," and he can be seen as one of the sailors (uncredited) in "The Golden Vulture" two years later.
Dale Van Sickle had his first on-screen stunt role in the Marx Brothers' 1933 film "Duck Soup," and then went on to appear as an extra and occasional leading man in over 280 films and television episodes. He was a stunt man and on-screen extra in such Hollywood classics as "The Searchers," "North by Northwest," and "Spartacus." He is probably best remembered by "Superman" fans as the one who ducked when a gun was thrown in "The Mind Machine." He also played Baker in the episode "Five Minutes to Doom" and Slim's partner in "Money to Burn." He was a founding member and the first president of the Stuntmen's Association of Motion Pictures.
Cary Loftin was one of Hollywood's greatest stunt drivers. His skills are showcased in the thrilling car chase sequences featured in such films as "The Love Bug" (1968), "Bullitt" (1968), "Vanishing Point" (1971), "Diamonds Are Forever" (1971), and "The French Connection."
2:05 I like how Superman stands there as a gun is unloaded at him, but ducks out of the way when the empty gun is thrown at him.
I even wondered that as a kid, seeing it on my grandma's TV in the early 1950s.
Its always nice to see George Reeves and Phyllis Coats.
The runaway bus scene was filmed at the Inglewood Oil Field, Culver City California. I love that Nash.
The second guy looked just like George! It's even hard to tell now. Thanks for giving credit to those who would have never gotten it. What a great show.
Dale Van Sickel was one of the greatest. He was one of the stalwarts at Republic who made the fight scenes in their serials so entertaining and memorable. Good actor, too.
Looks like somebody had to sew Superman’s costume back together in that last flying sequence looked like my sewing too lol
@@michaeloliver8790 Makes you wonder...if his costume is as indestructible at him, how could a sewing needle penetrate it? And where did they get indestructible thread? File that under "Questions you're not supposed to ask" 😁
@@silverhammer7779In order to fully enjoy the show, you have to have a willing suspension of disbelief.
@@kevinobrien9271 Well, yeah, obviously. I have watched plenty of old movie serials and 50s and 60s schlock sci-fi, so I'm no stranger to suspending disbelief for purposes of enjoying the show. But, still, you have to wonder about some of the more glaring plot holes. It's still fun to watch regardless.
Takes 6 shots from a gun , but doesn't blink, when the gun was thrown, he ducks....lol
That is something I could never understand
My All Time Favorite Show Growing Up In The 50's And 60's I Still Remember Every Episode . Every One
A totally amazing serial. These old California scenes are so old and remarkable!
I remember those oil derricks in Long Beach when I was a kid.
California in the 1950’s must have been so beautiful. I wish I could have been there.
I especially like the take off scenes in the runaway school bus footage. They’re practically seamless.
Those of you who've seen the Spielberg classic "Duel" w/Dennis Weaver are already familiar with Cary Loftin. Besides being one of Hollywood's top stuntmen, he played the sadistic, faceless trucker who tormented Weaver all thru the movie.
When I was a kid I couldn't wait for these episodes to come on TV
I'm curious to know when you first watched and how old you were. I started watching in early 1953 at the age of 6.
@@jimnolt-TAC, I was born in 1957, will be 66 on May 20th, don't know when I first saw this show, but I was hooked right away! GEORGE REEVES IS SUPERMAN! (It was many years ago!) I have the DVD collection now!
What thrilling episodes! 1951 - the first and best year. “The Mind Machine” remains one of my favourites. Regardless of the scripts in the colour episodes, however, George Reeves remains the best Superman (and Clark Kent) of all!
Completely agree. And Phyllis Coates was a better Lois Lane than Noel Neill. I’m not saying that Noel was bad, she wasn’t, she was good, it’s just that Phyllis was much better.
@@GalapagosPete Totally agree with you about Phyllis Coates. And as the colour series progressed, Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen became even more insipid!
he was the best Clark Kent as he made Clark a force as a reporter.
@@rlkinnard Very true. His version of Kent was as much of an enemy to the bad guys, as was Superman. Take a look at “Czar of the Underworld” - another classic.
@@thomaschacko6320 I think that Chris Reeves played a better superman though his Clark Kent was just a dweeb. George Reeves' Kent deserved his job as a reporter.
The original Superman was so much more entertaining than the techno drivel of today. They would say hokey but I would say old school art.
Mind Machine. Probably one of the best filled into a 1/2 hr. Amazingly.
George was an icon none better then him then or now suited the part down to the ground
In the last scene when Superman is flying, did you notice the stitching under his left arm?
In the first season he was hung by wires for the flying scenes. That’s why there were slits in his Superman suit. Season two and on he laid on a board specially contoured to his body.
@@kevinobrien9271 -Thanks!
@@kevinobrien9271 In close-ups during the color years, you can see the outline of the flying mold thru Superman's leggings. But thanks to the design of the mold and the costume fabric, those outlines just look like seams on his costume, so it doesn't really break the illusion.
Good eye ! First thing I thought of is it seems like they'd at least use similar color thread for those Frankenstein stiches whatever the reason for them were.
Do now
Even as a little kid watching reruns on tv you could spot the stunt men but the second guy and George could have passed for brothers easily great video.
The early years: that great music ! So film noir, dark, serious and a bit scary .espec. when you are 7) . Great site Jim !!
Thanks, John. And I share your thoughts concerning the first season.
@@jimnolt-TAC Jim: I believe Phyillis is still alive. Do you know how she is doing ?
It IS great music. It's on CZcams somewhere as a compilation. I think they used over 50 different musical pieces for Season 1.
@@JOHNWLOUCKS Luv how Phyllis Coates smiles at the end of the episode RESCUE when she tells Kent, "Superman FINALLY took me out."
I just love the way Superman punches that crook @ 1:33. Beautiful trajectory lol.
2:06 I like when he stands for the bullets hitting him, but ducks for the throw of the gun. LOL
Didn't know of the stunt doubles, good vid.
When I saw the title of the video, my heart broke. (As a little girl , just old enough to understand it was an actor,) I was in love with Superman.
I knew the actor couldn't fly or stop a bullet, but surely he could do anything else another man could do.
It was traumatic for me to learn about stuntman! And now, 65 years later, the memories of a happy little girl suddenly emrged.
Thank you
Glad you like it. George was doubled in Night of Terror, Mind Machine, and No Holds Barred. All three were directed by Lee Sholem. Most likely it was his choice to use stunt men. Sholem is also the only director to use the wire liftoff (instead of the running jump).
I always thought , even as a young boy, that Superman would have knocked the bad guy's heads clean off when he punched them.
I had received autographs from you for Jimmy and Lois years back ..TAC I'm glad and saddened when I see clips from the 50s especially Superman how glorious the country was then versus the shape of the country now
Our Superman fought for three things that do not seem to exist anymore. Truth, Justice, and the American way. How sad indeed.
Lol. Superman takes on bullet shots, but ducks for a thrown handgun. That's funny!
Two things stand out to me about the Time Machine. The first is the kid saying GOLLY IT'S SUPERMAN. And Lois always gives Clark Kent a hard time and doesn't do what he tells her but let SUPERMAN suggest she do something and she eagerly says ALRIGHT.
Thanks Jim these are great - Yeah, I know that George liked to do stunts himself but you can tell that the stuntmen in the long shots were probably a little more agile in some ways but of course George was a great actor - and, underrated in his fairly brief lifetime.
Look closely at the last scene.
Superman has a small sewing repair in his costume.
( Look at the sew job you would usually miss on T.V.)
It's at the flying scene in the last one shown.
@@johnbockelie3899, most likely that "costume repair" was necessary because the crew had to put the costume on George over the very large flying apparatus he used in the first season. George was in a harness suspended from a pole that extended between his legs and then up over his back. The Superman costume was worn over both the pole and the harness. Then it was stitched up to "make it fit." It must have been quite a chore for George to get into that rig for the flying scenes.
Wow! Good job on finding the names of the stunt doubles.
As I recall, Cary Loftin also played the evil truck driver in Stephen Spielberg's first film, "Duel."
Cool to see stern 'Lois," Phyllis Coates in that last segment. That old guy seemed preoccupied with Supe's underwear 'til it was his turn to talk.
In the last flying scene in this video, looks like someone used a little needle and thread to fix Superman's left underarm seam. Hope they used super-thread.
As a kid, I loved this series... still do!
Love the patched-up stitching on Superman's costume in the final scene...!!
I don't know if you can call that a patch or not. George first had to get into the rig and then others helped him put the costume on. The rig was bulky, and George had to be sewn into the costume. So I guess you could call it a patch, but not in the ordinary sense.
1:29 Superman's costume looks a little worn and thread bare. Reeves still the best incarnation of Superman
Impossible. That costume is from Kryptonian cloth and
genuine Saskatchewan sealskin bindings.
Thanks you so much for this video. I inquired about the identity of George’s stunt double in The Mind Machine. Never in a million years would I have thought it was the same stuntman who drove the truck in Duel. I guess you just never stop learning, even if it’s just trivia. Thanks again, Jim. Someday I’ll get to meet you at a TAOS reunion.
You may find it interesting that George Reeves is also in a little known movie called,
"Gone With The Wind".
He plays one of Scarlett's suiters in the beginning of the movie.
@@im1who84u
That's Right,
George Reeves had a Small part in the beginning of, "Gone with the Wind".
Other than the Superman series, had George Reeves been given the chance, I believe he would've been Great in Other Series On TV, And Especially movie 🍿.
Such a Shame, that he Died at such a young Age,
George Reeves
R.I.P. 🙏🌹
He was also in from here to eternity @@im1who84u
The second double was incredibly believable as Superman, physically.
I didn't know who the first stuntman was, but Dale Van Sickle and Cary Loftin--who developed the stunts for a lot of movies including It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World--are very famous. Something else I didnt know.
Ol' Superman throw punches like a Hollywood Cowboy! Thanks for the Vid!
Thank you for this.
I like this: "Superman's real name is Kal-El, son of Jor-El. The suffix El means “of God” in Hebrew, with Kal-El defined as “Voice of God”. Before Krypton's doom, Kal-El's parents put him in a Moses-like basket, sending him down the Nile of intergalactic space until he landed safely on Earth".
The original creators of Superman were Jewish. No coincidence. Superman was a modern day Golem, a created super being whose mission was to protect the persecuted Jews of Prague. .
i just noticed.....there's padding under his superman shirt, to increase the size of chest. The outline of the padding is apparent.
George Reeves is the best Superman amen
Great shows. I was a kid when they came out and the are shown on Sundays around here and I’ll still watch them. Hahaha. One funny thing I noticed in this vide that I never thought of before: IF Superman punched a human, well, the guy that was punched would have his head removed, not just knocked out .. haahahahh
"GOLLY, it's superman!"
i love this show.
Carey (with an e) Loftin was a legendary stunt driver in innumerable films. Set up the entire chase sequence in Bullitt. He was probably driving that school bus as well in that last sequence. I met him once at a cast and crew party in Denver in 1969. He had just done a car chase in an underground garage. Fell asleep on the sofa at the party. Totally laid back guy.
Thanks for the correction. I don't know how I missed that. But I noticed that TCM made the same mistake.
No biggee. Easy to assume it was spelled like the other guy.@@jimnolt-TAC
So many things I missed as a kid but I see as an adult. No way I could have ever picked up the stunt double but as an adult, I can usually pick them out now relatively easy. Then I never questioned why Superman would dodge when the gun was thrown at him but bullets would bounce off....then there was the issue of punches...had Sups punched a human like that he would have literally crushed his body into atoms....then the knife bending on his chest.....imagine taking a real knife and stabbing a piece of steel - yeah, no bending of the blade then the very last scene after rescuing the kids on the bus then he jumps and goes flying....under his left arm his costume is stitched with what looks like black thread.....Oh the joys of being a kid.....and the agony of being an adult.
He always pulled his punches but that gun scene always cracked me up everybody talks about that I guess the directors couldn't think of anything else for that scene at the time
And the bad guy somehow had the strength to hold onto the blade as it was bending. I also noted the black stitching under his left arm as he banked to the right.
God bless these three men who contributed to the success of the TV Series.
I like parodies of stunt doubles. The most famous is probably in "Space Balls" where the bad guy actually captures the stunt doubles. But there was another in a western saloon fight ("Blazing Saddles" maybe?) where the stunt doubles were all little people so you would see one of the actors start to throw a punch and they would cut to a little person continuing on with the mayhem and then cut back to the actor.
Carey Loftin had a 60 year career as stuntman and stunt driver. He played the murderous trucker in 1972's " Duel. "
Carey Loftin was best known for stunt driving. He's the only double here that was involved with a vehicle or actually jumped into the air from the ground to start a flying sequence..
Superman had some love handles 😂😂😂
1:30 I'm amazed at the strength of the man able to bend a knife against superman's chest.
Thank you, that was very interesting!
I always thought season 2 was the best, a lot because of the mood music. I like the double when whoever saves Corky in the well. Also In . The doubles sure did a good job. the face and the voice. I love the GD dm it when Solly gets punched by George, and when Ben hits his head on the desk. Sure wish I could go to CA. But too far cause of my meds.
They spared no expense when it came to SM's costume.
Thank You I saw my favorite sean they shoot 6 bullets which has no effect on superman but he ducks when the revolver is thrown at him.
I don't know why that kept that scene in there. George so often got ribbed for ducking the thrown gun. David Brenner even mentioned it on the Mike Douglas Show years ago. But of course it wasn't George in that scene, it was Dale Van Sickle.
Dale Van Sickle was also the Frankenstein monster in Hellzapoppin 1941.
Thats fantastic ! Cary Lofton and Dale Van Sickle? The stunt driving team? Cary drove the truck and Sickle drove the red car for Dennis Weaver in Steven Spielberg's "Duel". Sickle again drove the Chevy nova for Roy scheider in "The Seven Ups" as he chased Bill Hickman in the Pontiac. Thats crazy trivia !
The top part of his outfit under his left arm-pit looks like it's been sewn up about two inches. I used to love watching Superman at 4:00 pm, on t.v. during the summertime , in my school days.
That stitching is the result of the costume being sewn over the flying rig Reeves was in.
Great research -- Reasons for stunts? Could have been an off day, a day when Reeves was not available, a decision to extend the sequence, for dramatic effect, for time, and Reeve hated wires after a fall. I wonder if there was any time the rest of the cast had to use a double because of availability.
One thing's certain, my Mom and Dad watched the first season with me together, and Mom catching the noir quality of theme and music whispered to my Dad "you know, this isn't for kids".
Season 1 and most of Season 2 were really rough around the edges, thank providence for that.
Bullets are bouncing off his chest left and right, but ducks when the gun is thrown at him.😅😅😅
At about the 4:30 mark we can see dark thread in the suit. It is right at the edge of the picture. I guess Ma Kent ran out of blanket thread and had to use Earth made materials
I always got a kick out of the bad guy when, after emptying the gun into Superman's chest and all the bullets bounce off, he throws the gun at him as if that'll have an effect. LOL. I remember this show growing up, and even as a kid, I was laughing at the corniness of it, but it was still great to watch.
Also in some old westerns, a bad guy who was being chased on horseback by the good guy also on horseback would throw his gun back at him when he ran out of bullets. Do you realize what a good Colt or Remington pistol cost in those days? No way would a cowboy toss it away like that. I always imagined a parody of this scene where the backwards pistol toss actually knocked the pursuer off his horse!
The funny part is while Superman isn't bothered by being shot at, he does duck to avoid the much less lethal thrown gun.
@@bobe.3719, maybe the bad guy had a good arm!
Near the end, the bus driver keeps looking at Superman's goods.
You may find it interesting that George Reeves is also in a little know movie called,
"Gone With The Wind".
He plays one of Scarlett's suiters in the beginning of the movie.
Lol, it's pretty funny that a guy that can stop a train would have to punch someone more than once to knock them out 😅
Superman reminds me of me in my youth.
At 1:24 George reeves gives that guy an upper cut.
Thanks for this. Given what footage is in this I'd think that George got stunt doubles for the take off owing to the wires being painful. I'd be thinking that I wasn't getting enough money to be pulled in two.
At 1:33 when Superman punches the bad guy, you can hear him (the bad guy) say "Ow. God dammit". I guess George must have clipped him with an elbow.
Dale Van Sickle looked most like George Reeve. Cool to see all of those oil fields which were part of the L.A. landscape in the 50’s.
Is Craig Roberts your real name? As soon as I read it, I thought of a conversation between Perry White and Clark Kent in "The Birthday Letter."
White: (Looking at two photographs) Marcel and Marie Duval, eh? Where'd you get these?
Kent: The FBI. Craig Roberts sent them over. They're French counterfeiters.
When Superman breaks in fighting the villains in the Mind Machine, actor ben welden when falling hit his head on the table leg and actuality moves his arm grabbing his head because it hurt. Normally you never see reaction like this . He really got hurt .
Yes, I imagine he had a few words to say about that scene!
If nothing else it made the scene more realistic!
@jameshendricks2197 Ben would disagree with you, he unexpectedly got hurt . When you are play acting, you're not supposed to show a real reaction when you fall. It's not in the script.
Kanes PARENTS and Kane remember them all 😊
6 bullets bounce off Superman. Then the guy throws the gun at him and he ducks!
Lmao
I watched a video a few days ago about why stunt doubles were used in the Superman television series. As someone has mentioned George Reeves preferred to do the stunts himself until he had an accident in a flying sequence. Then they used cables to support George when flying but unfortunately one of the cables broke and George fell badly onto the studio floor which nearly cost him his life. Changes were made to make it safer but on the most dangerous stunts doubles were used.
All this happened a long time ago, and therefore it's difficult to determine a reason for doubling. It's interesting to note however, that Lee Sholem directed the episodes that featured a double for George... so perhaps George, himself, didn't make that decision. As for the time George fell, there is a newspaper article that makes it clear the fall happened in "Superman And The Mole-Men." There is some speculation that he was dropped a second time, during "Ghost Wolf," but there is nothing to back that up.
You mean he didn’t actually fly. I’ve been watching Superman since the 50s, and today I’m devastated
Always liked when Superman ducked when a gun was thrown at him!
Look around the arm-pits on SUPERMANS custom looks like it needed a little letting out !
He stood there and took the bullets but had to dodge the gun
I like the clip in the close up of Superman, under his armpit a repair to is costume in black cotton. Around 4:36
Look at 4:39. There's a very crude stitching repair job on his costume at the right edge of the shot.
Bullets bounced off Superman but he ducked when the gun was thrown at him!
His brain was irretrievably Damaged by this show. as were all the people watching it. Thanks for the site Gags though i doubt i will ever recover either.....
When Superman tried to find the crooks who stole the Mind Machine, once it was turned on, shouldn't Superman s Super Hearing picked up the unusual sound it made?
Old TVs had a blurry picture so it was hard to see these things
The stitches at 04:38 near the armpit are interesting!
Also in The Face & The Voice a stunt double was used & when Superman arrived on the scene & when Boulder was running way from Superman it was obvious that it was a stunt double & not George Reeves
Correct. I chose not to use that example because it was not a case of something that might have been perceived as dangerous. There was simply o other way to do it. Same could be said of some scenes in Divide and Conquer.
The rubber knife!
After watching Chris Reeve as Superman in the movies it always jarred as a kid to see Superman punching people in the face! It made him seem less Superlike. More everyday bloke. I preferred Reeve.
What brakes?
Why did superman duck the thrown gun when bullets bounce off?
Cary Loftin played the murderous truck driver in Steven Spielberg's "Duel," starring Dennis Weaver.
Did anyone notice the last scene of Superman flying away, his suit was torn ans repaired with a dark coarse black thread?
❤
I may be in the minority, but I always liked Phyllis better than Noel
I always thought that Noel was like the "church lady" while Phyllis was a REAL woman with spunk. I believe Phyllis is still living being well into her nineties. The day that shes passes will be really sad for us Phyllis fans!
@@TheOzthewiz she died a couple of years ago. 98, I believe.
I think Phyllis was a little better actress but Noel was more personable and likeable.
Must of been a Tesla bus. The bus steered its way down the hill as it was speeding. Elon your a genius
at 2:11 the bald guy gets pushed and hits his head on "the machine" - you can see him rub it - 😆
Cary did stunts for John Wayne! He was a Big Dude!!
1:34 “oh, g*ddamnit…”
All of these episodes were directed by Lee Sholem, who left after the first season. I don't think Tommy Carr, George Blair (who took over for Sholem) ever doubled for Reeves.
You are correct, sir.
About Tommy Carr, did you count the times his brother, Steve Carr, appears in Season 1? Strangely, I believe Steve is only listed in the credits as Script Supervisor or Dialogue Director.
They were incredible actors. Lol
So '50s television, so bad it's good. Clearly the inspiration for the zany 1960s TV take on Batman. Love the dusty LA backdrop, oil derricks and all.
Yes, even though acting was bad, we loved those shows. I still watch them.
Union rules make allowances for stunt players whether they're needed or not.
busting bricks on his head but ducks gor a thrown gun. george insisied a stunt dbl for any kissy kiss scenes.
Yeah, let the kids stick around with a random dead guy at the wheel. It can wait til after the brakes are fixed.😂
Funny how SM can take bullets, but ducks when a gun is thrown
Where superman took off and started flying at the end, I notice a really bad mending job on his uniform shirt.